20+ Things About Life in Different Countries That Logic Can’t Explain

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We are often shocked by the local customs, languages, and other daily things while visiting a new country. Surprises can be both fun and unpleasant, but they are an inevitable part of exploring new locations.

Appearance

  • I was taken aback by how thin everyone was in Paris. For the first hour, that was all I could think about. Sean Kernan / Quora / Sean Kernan / Quora / Sean Kernan / Quor
  • By the way, in some parts of India, being overweight earns an individual more respect. A person’s size indicates their wealth. / Facebook / Larissa Panaro Artemenko
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  • The umbrellas distinguish the locals from the visitors in Bergen. Umbrellas are almost never seen by the locals. Instead, they’re dressed in raincoats. / Facebook / Anna Vlasova
  • Locals in Vietnam swim in the sea while dressed in shorts, T-shirts, and other casual attire. / Facebook / Ekaterina Saiz Martin
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  • Kuwait was where I went to school. I was so surprised when I went to my friend’s wedding! Her skin tone is medium. Despite this, she appeared ghost-white due to excessive makeup. She later told me that they sprayed her body with a light-colored spray that was similar to spray tans but not the same. / Quora / Salma Medina

Food

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  • In Thailand, I had a problem. The store had frozen meals in lunchboxes for sale. What was inside was difficult to see. I inquired as to whether it was chicken. Yes, the lady said. I discovered chicken legs with claws when I unpacked the lunchbox in my hotel room. People in my country do not eat that, but they do in Thailand. Irina Morozova / Facebook
  • I was in Lebanon and decided to visit a cafe. The waiter gave us some appetisers as we waited for our order. Stuff like this are not available for free where I come from. You’ll have to wait for the items you requested. / Facebook / Olga Krasnukova
  • We ordered duck soup in Vietnam. We were served soup by them. With the aid of a duck. The entire duck, in reality. With a beak, to be precise. / Facebook / Larisa Gorenko
  • I spent four years in China. Small live crocodiles, turtles, and frogs were for sale in the supermarket. They were sold for food. / Facebook / Ekaterina Zykova
  • I’ve always assumed that I enjoy Chinese cuisine. I travelled to China with my wife for business eight years ago. A customer wanted to take us out to dinner and asked if we were interested in Chinese cuisine. Let me tell you, I’ve never been so hungry after leaving a restaurant in my life. Frogs and even a turtle were among the dishes. The latter, I believe, was in a broth. / Quora / Peter T Mayer
  • In September of last year, my family and I relocated to Charlottesville, Virginia (USA). To celebrate my husband’s birthday, my family and friends went to McDonald’s. When one of the employees graciously joined us in singing with our children, she not only joined us, but also danced happily. We were overjoyed, but that was just the beginning; next, we were given free ice cream for the kids (which we ate), which was completely unexpected. We went to the counter to position our order and pay for it, only to find that it had already been paid for by the customer before us! We were speechless; this was by far the most graceful performance we had ever seen. / Quora / Nivedita Awasthi

Attitude toward visitors

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  • For job, I went to Sweden. In the span of seven days, I believe my Swedish colleague and I spoke just twice. She didn’t seem to like me at all, I assumed. Then, one day before my flight, she invited me to stay with her because she lived close to the airport. I was taken aback. The biggest shock came when she awoke at 4 a.m. to prepare breakfast for me. “You’re my friend!” she exclaimed. It was the greatest shock of my life. / Facebook / Olga Bane
  • My half-Estonian husband and I were riding our bikes through Estonia. It was past midnight. When we arrived at the campgrounds, they told us that “Camping is closed.” They still let us into the territory, despite the fact that there were a lot of people there. We discovered an unoccupied tent with two camp beds. When we arrived to look for a shower, the employee informed us that the shower was broken. But it worked, and we were able to take a shower. The next day, I went in search of a stove to use for cooking, and someone assisted me in turning it on. My husband went to pay for our stay as we were leaving, but they refused to take any money. All was completely free! / Facebook / Nataliya Nemirovskaya
  • When I was photographing on her street in Romania, an elderly woman insisted on having breakfast with me. / Quora / Gerard van den Akker
  • Sweden is a country I’ve visited many times. My son once misplaced his bag, which contained all of his documents, money, and other valuables. His passport, fortunately, was in a different bag. When he went to the police station, the first question he was asked was whether or not he was hungry. When you think about it, it’s very reasonable. When an individual lost all of their assets, a police officer inquired about his feelings. Facebook / Rimma Afanaseva
  • I’m a tall, balding guy. Locals in Vietnam, especially women, frequently touch my stomach. They believe it would make them wealthy. / Facebook / Leonid Bogomolniy
  • Touching a child with light skin and hair is considered a blessing in Vietnam. / Facebook / Anna Pahomova

Manners

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  • When I went to an employment agency in Finland for a job interview, I was asked to remove my shoes at the door. That was a life-changing event for which I was unprepared. Without my jeans, I felt half-naked. So, for a work interview, I took off my shoes and walked barefoot on a public carpet. During this official function, I felt uncomfortable undressing and showing off my feet. People in Israel, where I am from, never take off their shoes in a recruitment agency’s office and never expect tourists to do so. It is also customary in Israel to enter a home with your shoes on, which is strictly prohibited in Finland. Anni Hag / Quora / Anni Hag / Quora / Anni Hag / Quor
  • People in Israel greet shop assistants, janitors, and bus drivers with a friendly greeting. It surprised me at first, but after a while I got used to it and now I do it as well. / Facebook / Elena Akodus
  • From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. in Sweden, there is a law that you do not annoy your neighbours. If you’re planning a late-night party, post a note in the elevator or on the entrance door to warn your neighbours. / Facebook / Noni Negmatova
  • In Turkey, people speak in a very respectful and sweet manner. Even strangers would be addressed as “sweetheart” or “honey.” / Facebook / Olga Sumelong-Rataeva
  • The Chinese talk really loudly, almost scream-like, to the point that you can’t hear anything. People were not expected to talk louder than someone superior to them in the past, according to a Chinese girl I know (whether it be a boss or an elder). This antiquated social rule is no longer relevant; rather, the louder you talk, the cooler you are. And it’s perfectly natural. / Facebook / Dmitriy Silchenkov

Transportation

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  • I went to Romania with the kids, and while we were there, we took a taxi. I sat in the driver’s seat, while the kids sat in the back. When I attempted to fasten my seatbelt, the driver stopped me and explained that the passengers in the backseat can use the seatbelt to strike, so they don’t use the front seatbelts. I’m still not sure he was serious. / Facebook / Tatyana Ratnovski
  • In Sicily, if you’re driving down a small side street in a small town, the driver next to you could just pull over for 5 minutes to talk to someone. You can’t drive around or honk because it’s impolite. As a result, people simply wait for others to complete their conversations. / Facebook / Tatiana Kud
  • Traveling a few miles in India could take up to an hour. As a result, a 20-mile journey could easily take two hours or more. Indian highways and roads were clogged with any kind of vehicle, from cars and large trucks loaded with freight to pedestrians, motorcycles, cows, goats, and chickens. Quora user Zack Jaffri
  • This is a minor detail, but it never ceases to amaze me when I visit the United Kingdom. People form a line to board a bus. They also wait for passengers to disembark from the bus before entering. It sounds like human decency, doesn’t it? Waiting for passengers to disembark before boarding one by one? / Quora / Emma Pichon de Bury

Day-to-day life

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  • When entertaining guests in Sweden, there is no need to set a table. You simply place plates in front of the guests and direct them to the kitchen to obtain whatever they want. Facebook / Tatyana Tkachenko
  • There is also a law in Switzerland on when you should use your apartment’s washing machine. / Quora / Collin Spears
  • I was taken aback by the abundance of flowers in Germany. Flowers can be found in abundance. Nobody messes with them, steals them, breaks them, or kills them… It’s stunning. There are also old houses with new conveniences. / Facebook / Marina Fedotova
  • There is no water heater in Japanese washing machines, so they use cold water. Washing machines with heaters are around the same price as two jets.  © Nina Smolyak / Facebook
  • People in Southern China and Hong Kong walk around with their caged birds. They take them out of the cages and keep them in their hands on occasion. Locals assume who birds that do not walk do not live as long and do not sing as well. / Facebook / Dimitry Okropiridze

Safety

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  • In Munich, it was 6 a.m. From the airport to the hotel, I took a taxi. The driver was a tall, slender young man with long hair in a ponytail who wore a big hat. Both of these points became immediately apparent to my daughter and me. We arrived at the hotel, paid for the taxi, and went inside to sign in. Then we realised my purse was missing, along with all of my papers, credit cards, and cash… The clerk was eagerly waiting. We’d given up hope absolutely. We then informed the clerk that we had arrived by taxi. He told us to go get food, and when we returned, the driver had brought the purse we had left in the car. Facebook / Susana Burnasan
  • I left my pricey Ray-Ban sunglasses (€100) at a cafe and went mountain climbing. Since returning to the same cafe for 6 hours in search of the glasses, they were still sitting at the same table, unmoved. In my enthusiasm, I offered the waiter €5 as a token of appreciation, which he politely declined. Switzerland, I really adore you. Hassan / Quora / Hassan / Quora / Hassan / Quor
  • The people of Europe will abide by the laws. It doesn’t matter whether you’re driving lanes or waiting for pedestrian lights to turn green. People can stand at a red light even though it is 2/3 AM and there is no one on the streets. © Koushik / Quora
  • In Turkey, I recall a peculiar driving custom: drivers honk at everyone they see just to get people’s attention. / Facebook / Jeanna

When you were in other nations, what surprising discoveries did you make?

Preview photo credit Alrandir / Shutterstockyurakrasil / Shutterstock

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